Jamaat-e-Islami, a member of the BNP-led 20-Party Alliance, has handed a list of 50 nomination-aspirants to secure the coalition’s nomination for the upcoming 11th general election.
A Jamaat delegation submitted the list, to BNP Standing Committee Members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Nazrul Islam Khan, on Saturday.
A source of Jamaat’s central executive council confirmed the matter.
After losing the party’s registration with the Election Commission (EC), Jamaat has now moved to contest in the election as part of the Alliance.
As many as 60 Jamaat nomination-aspirants, across the country, collected nomination forms to contest in the election – slated for December 30 – independently. The party scrutinized and finalized its list of 50 candidates—then submitted the list to BNP.
However, Jamaat Nayeb-e-Ameer Prof Mia Golam Parwar said: “Nomination-aspirants collected nomination forms to contest for 60 constituencies as per the party’s decision. A list is supposed to be handed over to BNP after it is scrutinized. I am not sure whether the list has been submitted or not.”
Alliance Coordinator Nazrul Islam Khan did not receive a phone call about this either.
Along with the list, Jamaat also submitted information about the overall scenario of the seats, such as, the number of votes the party secured in the previous elections, possibilities, and BNP’s support base in those areas.
The detailed information was given to help BNP to decide, said a member of Jamaat’s executive council.
However, a senior Jamaat leader said they are ready for any sacrifice since BNP has formed an alliance with Jatiya Oikya Front.
He said BNP unofficially assured them they would give them 18-20 seats, but that they will negotiate for 30-35 seats.
Even though Jamaat nomination-aspirants collected nomination papers to contest in the election independently, BNP offered them to participate using its electoral symbol, the paddy sheaf.
However, Jamaat leaders have already said they will participate using other electoral symbols.
The party forum meet to decide on the electoral symbol, said a central leader.
In 2001 election, Jamaat contested for 31 seats as part of the Four-Party Alliance—30 seats were with the alliance and one seat was contested for the party.
In the 2008 election, the party contested for four seats under the party banner though it cleared 39 seats for the alliance.